Red Sox Persevere for Win

SALEM, Va. – The Salem Sox were holding a solid 3-1 lead entering the sixth inning, but that’s when the Hillcats decided they weren’t going to go down quietly.

The Salem Red Sox (44-46, 14-13) started the night off right debuting starting pitcher Elvis Soto who threw four innings of shutout baseball only allowing two hits to the Lynchburg Hillcats (44-48, 13-14), both of which coming to leadoff batter Tyresse Turner.

Salem got to a strong start offensively as well scoring in the first inning when Jhostynxon Garcia singled bringing home Mikey Romero, who tripled earlier in the inning.

Salem would add to the lead in the fourth when Garcia sent a baseball into orbit, 409 feet over the left field wall hitting about a third of the way up the left field light tower to put the Sox in front 2-0.

On a limited start, Soto was pulled entering the fifth when reliever Jhonny Felix (W, 2-1) came out of the pen. Felix struggled allowing two free passes to open the inning before a pair of groundouts, including an RBI groundout from Jose Pastrano scored the first run of the night for Lynchburg.

Salem got the run right back in the bottom of the fifth off a Romero sac fly to center that scored Juan Montero from third to push the score to 3-1.

The sixth saw the biggest push from the visitors as Angel Genao and Wilfredo Antunez had back-to-back singles that with a walk to Robert Lopez loaded the bases. Lexer Saduy hit a soft grounder back to Felix who threw home for the force. Trying for the double play Juan Montero threw down to first but the ball sailed into right scoring two for Lynchburg and tying the game at three runs apiece.

Through five Lynchburg went to the pen with Miguel Vinicio (L, 2-3) who immediately gave up a double to Garcia putting him just a triple shy of the cycle. A Lyonell James single and help from an error by Hillcats shortstop Genao scored Garcia to reclaim the lead for Salem to the game’s eventual final score of 4-3.

The seventh saw Garcia get his fourth at-bat in an attempt to collect a triple to achieve the first Salem cycle since 2005. Garcia sent the ball the opposite way but a turning Saduy in right field made the catch spoiling the feat.

Additionally, the top of the seventh saw a strikeout call on a passed ball that Lynchburg batter Wuilfredo Antunez argued until he was ejected from the ballgame by home plate umpire Korey Gerber.

In the ninth, Jonathan Brand (SV, 7) earned the save out of the bullpen to a team-high seven saves.

Next, the Salem Red Sox host “Christmas Eve in July” with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. on Friday, followed by “Christmas in July” on Saturday night with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. from Salem Memorial Ballpark.

Location: Salem Memorial Ballpark

First Pitch: 7:06 p.m.

Time of Game: 2:21